Lebanon

This chapter features Lebanese authors spanning the period of the “pioneers” of modern Lebanese literature. Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931), Nadia Tuéni (1935–83), Charles Corm (1894–1963), and Anis Freyha (1903–93), whose works spanned the first century of Lebanon's modern history, wrote tirelessly, extolling the glory of ancient Lebanon, recalling the “golden age” of its Phoenician ancestors and the era spanning “classical antiquity,” expressing both hope and concern for the future of a nascent political entity gushing out of a region torn by conflict, irredentism, and resentful nationalisms. Their works reflect elements and profiles of Lebanese life, Lebanese history, and Lebanese landscapes unfolding with both precision and symbolism.